The Sociopath Next Door

[Aiona]

I can't remember how I ended up buying this book, but I read it in one night. It talks about a kind of person who has no conscience. I have always been fascinated with how the brain works, and I appreciate that the author tries to theorize about possible biochemical reasons for this type of personality. Whether she is correct or not, I don't know. One of the many reviews on Amazon criticizes her for using outdated research examples, or some with not strong enough evidence.

Still, her anecdotes were enough to at least make me feel better about some of the bafflingly bizarre behavior of some people I've encountered in my life, that I simply can't explain any other way.

[Bunny]

I remember my friend's husband was doing research on sociopath's for something he was writing and it was one author's theory that there are many more sociopaths than previously thought. Makes loads of sense really given human behavior. Just thing about how so many people will literally say they don't care about anyone else in the world except their own family. Really a terrible sick thing to feel but so many people proudly declare that everyday. Creeps me out.

[Andrew]

Sounds interesting. I've wondered about this type of thing but never read up on it. I do remember something about brain scans showing something. But this might have to do with compulsive violence, not sociopathy.

BTW, I just looked up the difference between sociopath and psychopath. Some consider them the same, others do not: http://www.differencebetween.net/science...sociopath/